The Peach State Classic has always had a strong flavor of Tennessee and this year would prove to be no different. Team Nashville finishes in the Sweet 16 of the 17 and under bracket.
In the 16 and under division the Nashville Celtics make a sic run and lose a heartbreaker with a chance to advance to the Final Four. Select Basketball finishes 5-1 losing to the same Southern Kings squad which eliminated the Celtics.
Team Nashville 17's
Sporting a strong pool performance and a big resume during both open periods Team Nashville seemed destined to continue on for Sunday action at the Peach State Classic.
A 13-0 start, a 17 point halftime lead (37-20) all seemed to point to the inevitable but the opponent Prime Time out of Florida had a different take on things.
A 45-22 second half run by Prime Time saw the big lead disappear and despite the efforts of Corn Elder (Ensworth) down the stretch Team Nashville falls 65-59.
Josh Phillips (PJPII) and Darius Thompson (Blackman) led the scoring with a dozen each while Elder finished with 10, most of them late during the comeback.
Jamonte Davis (Hillsboro) added 9 points and continues to show improvement as he return to form from the injury which took his junior season on the hardwood.
Fatigue seemed to be a factor as Team Nashville has played a lot of games in a short time with Orlando looming on the horizon. Look for this team to bounce back and make the final event of the summer in Mickey's house their own.
Nashville Celtics 16's
A tough early pool play loss was about all Celtics coach and former Lady Vol Dominique Redding could stand. She challenged her guys to pick it up defensively and respond is exactly what these young men had in their hearts.
A Sweet 16 meeting with the Ohio Phenoms went the way of the Nashville boys 70-67 behind 16 markers from steadily improving Andre Wilson (Austin East). Jaylen Barford (Jackson Southside) added 13 while Daniel Norl (Kenwood) and Keonte Williams (Kentucky) finished with 10 apiece.
Barford was the man with the plan as the rising junior finished with 16 markers but his creative scoring effort in the final seconds rimmed off and the Celtics fell 56-55 to the Southern Kings in the Final Eight of the Peach State Classic in Aiken, South Carolina.
Barford was joined in the scoring book by Josh Bougher (CBHS) who added 12 and Wilson who would finish with 10.
A great effort included contributions from several players such as Makinda London (Summitt), Marcus Graves (North Carolina), Sheldon Freeman (USN), Deonte Bizzle-Brown (Hardin Valley) rising eighth grader D.J. Harvey (Alabama).
Select Basketball 16's
Select Basketball roared through the pool play action finishing 5-0 behind some balanced scoring and teamwork.
A 64-42 win over the South Carolina Raptors raised their record to 2-0 behind 12 points from Jake Allsmiller (CPA) and 11 markers each from Nathan Moran (BGA) and Parker Howell (CPA).
Moran was high man with 18 as Select raced to an 85-65 win to move to 3-0 in pool action. Andy Schumpert (Brentwood) added 17 in the win while Howell came down with a double/double of 14 points and 11 caroms.
4-0 as Shumpert nails 22 and Braxton Bonds (CPA) falls just short of a triple/double with a 67-41 win over the South Carolina Kings. Bonds finished with 14 points, 11 boards and 8 assists for a full days work for sure. Moran added 11 in the win.
Howell was the big man inside dropping 24 points and snatching 11 boards as Select disposed of the Upward Stars 77-52 to raise their record to 5-0 before a tough 63-62 loss to the Southern Kings kept them from a Final Eight showdown with the Nashville Celtics.
